What’s the secret to success in this game?

I measure success through three gauges. These are… Wealth, Technical Progress (Level), and People Connections. Let’s examine them one by one…

Wealth… It’s not just gil, but all of your property, from a single piece of ore to a beautiful orchestrion. Everything you own counts.

Technical Progress (Level)... This is your raw level in your classes. In virtually all mainstream MMORPGs, your progress in the game is measured through your raw level. But also please, take into consideration how quickly you get there. If it takes you a year to hit max level, you don’t have good technical progress.

People Connections… Not just mere friends but also your “allies”, for lack of a better word. A perfect example of someone with good people connections is a leader of a thriving Free Company.

So tell me, dear friends, what is the secret to success in this game with regards to the aforementioned “gauges”?

Please take this seriously. No troll posts please.

Just play the game long enough and you will eventually do and get everything.

Patience, being a good person and reliable to your friends and time.

Patience and time are tied together being that it takes time to obtain the means to earn gil. (leveling gathering/crafting) The third thing.... well it boils down to you and those you choose to be around. Hang around rude or mean players you'll earn a bad reputation, whereas you offer to help others and be involved with your FC or groups you gravitate towards and you'll make a lot of friends.

If you're playing the game happily, then there isn't anything in the game that can measure your success.

I don't have anything you mentioned in your post. I have a poor crafter's budget. My house purchase nearly left me broke and 95% of the décor is self crafted from mats gathered through time rather than gil; I just started SB a few days ago, and live in a VERY tightly knit FC with only 2-3 members I consider true companions, yet I am very happy playing this game right now.

If I was to measure my success from a rating of 1-10, I would give it a 10. Do you want to know why? It isn't because of anything I previously mentioned. It's because I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

To say something entirely different:

Have fun

There is only one viable (and meaningful) gauge of success in this game, and that is, how much fun the individual gets out of playing.

A player who has everything and done everything in the game and feels no real sense of fun, joy or achievement is the poorest (as in riches) and most unsuccessful player imo.

There's no grand secret. Like most things in life, MMORPG success is about time, effort, and initiative.

The secret to success is learning when you are wrong and being strong enough to want to correct it

the secret to success is reading your ability tooltips

The key to success, not just in this game but any MMO really is....just being content. knowing what you enjoy and just enjoying your time. I'm no regular logger onner but for the time I do spend here, I'm content and happy.

Wealth: I have only 100k or so gil to my name and only a small apartment decorated mostly with things gotten from retainer ventures, quest things and somethings I picked up along the way. Along with some gifts from friends. It's not much by any means, but I'm happy with it and what I have.

Progression: I never set foot in any kinda savage or EX content, much less an alliance raid or even really finished the Stormblood MSQ yet. I'm I-level 350 and level 70 in one class and could care less about touching another class. Maybe its cause I view this game as a secondary MMO but even if it does take me a year to finish the MSQ. I'm okay and content with it. It's not going anywhere after all.

People Connections: I'm no Queen of the Server by far, and that just works for me. I have around 6 close friends that I know and trust and enjoy spending time with. They're sorta my anchor here cause without them I would have stayed retired when I first quit originally back before 3.0

Success is a matter of prospective, most would not consider me successful by far, but for who I am and how I approach this game, I consider myself very successful.